Golden currant

Ribes aureum

Deciduous root-spreading shrub up to 10 ft. tall with globe-like berries and showy yellow trumpet shaped flowers with reddish-tinged centers, blooming February to August. Widely adapted, occurring on fine to sandy well-drained loam soils of cliffs, mountain slopes, ravines, floodplains, streamsides, washes and near springs in grasslands, coniferous forests, woodlands, mountain shrub and riparian communities, though drought tolerant; up to 9,000 ft. elevation. Broad distribution but rarely abundant. Often found with willows and Wood’s rose (Rosa woodsii). Good for restoration of rangelands and able to grow on some mine tailings. Cultivated as a landscaping ornamental. Rhizomes sprout after disturbance and fire. Provides cover and forage is browsed by wildlife. Fruits are an important food for numerous birds and small mammals. Flowers attract hummingbirds, bumble bees, butterflies and the Clark's sphinx hawkmoth.